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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384803">Against a Bookshelf</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsxleil/pseuds/sunsxleil'>sunsxleil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Merry Christmas, I Love You [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carol (2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:20:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsxleil/pseuds/sunsxleil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Carol and Therese go to the library to pick up a book to read as they go into the New Year. The thing is, Therese is mostly the one who picks their books. Oh, and Carol is in one of her <i>moods</i> today.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carol Aird/Therese Belivet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Merry Christmas, I Love You [23]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Against a Bookshelf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Got inspired by a show I watched recently. The fic is made of parts full of innuendo and a whole dollop of fluff. Hope you guys like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Find what you’re looking for, darling?”</p><p>Therese startles, almost dropping the book she’s reaching for. She feels the words echo on her skin, on the crook of her neck, and it sends goosebumps all over her body with the soft lips that press against her neck. The repressed laughter she feels bubbling on her skin makes her bite her lip, and while she would like to shout at this person who had the audacity to startle her while she is reaching for a book, they are in a <em>library</em>—Therese can’t possibly scold her partner for that right now, can she?</p><p>“Carol!” The hiss that comes out of Therese’s smiling lips only makes Carol laugh harder. “We’re in a library!”</p><p>“Hm,” Carol hums, and as she presses her lips harder against the crook of Therese’s neck, Carol’s laughter sends vibrations deep into Therese’s skin. It’s not that Therese doesn’t like it, but—they’re in <em>a library</em>. “But you like it when I do this.”</p><p>Therese can hear the pout in Carol’s voice. Sometimes, Carol sounds so much like a puppy, it’s amusing. Now, if they were in a private library, perhaps one in a summer home they will someday own, or a friend’s private library, <em>perhaps</em> Therese would let Carol do something like this.</p><p>But what if someone walks by? What if someone catches them?</p><p>More importantly, <em>what if Therese makes too much noise</em>?</p><p>“N-not here, Carol.” Therese pleads. She tangles her fingers in Carol’s hair, though doesn’t quite have the power to pull that beautiful head away from her neck. “Maybe at home.”</p><p>Therese feels Carol smile against her skin before she pulls away from her neck, and instead Carol loops her arms around Therese’s waist. “So you <em>want</em> me to take you against a bookshelf?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.”</p><p>“Or is it that we might get caught?”</p><p>Carol can be so playful sometimes. She loves to tease, and it’s not even to see how far they might want to go; sometimes, Carol just delights in making Therese flustered. It’s not that Therese doesn’t <em>like</em> it, in fact, she quite <em>delights</em> in it as well but…</p><p>Therese sighs. “If I knew you were in the mood for another Christmas, I would’ve left you at home.” She pulls on the spine of the book she was reaching for and brings it down.</p><p>“Oh, but darling,” Carol rests her chin on Therese’s shoulder. “I get so lonely without you.”</p><p>Carol can handle herself, but some days, she really is just more playful. On those days, she tends to cling to Therese more, and while Therese always acts annoyed by it, something about Carol pouting and clinging to her like a little child just has Therese enamored every time.</p><p>Carol, her Carol—so clingy and adorable.</p><p>“So behave,” Therese says, turning around in Carol’s arms. She points the spine of her book at Carol’s nose, and feels her back rest against the wood of the shelves. “We’re picking up a book for the New Year so this is as much for you as it is for me.”</p><p>Neither of them are really readers, but they like to read. They’ve found, about three years into their relationship, that while reading separate books is nice, it worked better for them to read the same book at the same time, usually on the holidays or on weekends. It’s mostly because of Carol though, who has a tendency to stop midway through her books to start joining Therese in reading her own book.</p><p>Carol leans her forehead against the end of the spine of the book Therese points at her, and smiles. “This better be good for the New Year, then.”</p><p>“Well,” and Therese pulls the cover closer to her, to read the title. “It looks like it. I’ve heard good things about it.”</p><p>“And I’ve heard good things about you.” Therese looks up to Carol looking at her, with a soft expression on those gray eyes that Carol only ever spares for her. Therese sighs, smiles—they’ve been together some ten years now, and one thing that never goes away, even seems to grow more and more, is how Carol never fails to seize the opportunity to flirt with her.</p><p>So, Therese tilts her chin up, and Carol kisses her.</p><p>“Who are you trying to win me over from?” Therese teases.</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know. Some guy at the grocery store who looked at you funny.”</p><p>Therese smiles. “From when? Last month?” They tend to take turns doing the grocery shopping, and only rarely do they do it together now. Fits their schedules better.</p><p>“Hm, in my dream, last night.” Therese looks into Carol’s eyes, and they are as bright as ever. Almost like a clear summer day. “Or the other day. I’m not quite sure.”</p><p>Whether or not it was really from Carol’s dream, Therese finds it doesn’t really matter.</p><p>The library is quite big, in all actuality, so any footsteps or rustling coats or soft librarian chatter is far away from them, floors below, aisles away. So, there is no risk in staying that way for a while, with Therese against a bookshelf, Carol’s arms wrapped around her, their faces mere inches apart and a book under their chins. Therese likes this view of Carol, after all. Carol’s face looks soft in the sunlight from the windows by the wall, and the silence and warmth of a library just fits the both of them so well somehow. Therese loves this, and while she has always loved taking pictures, some moments, she finds, are better left untouched in her mind.</p><p>“What?” Carol asks her.</p><p>“What?” She asks back. Though, neither of them are really asking about anything in particular.</p><p>So, Carol just stares at her, and Therese just stares back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think we can all agree that based on the "Smell that?" scene in the movie, Carol probably has a thing for seducing her romantic interests, specifically Therese. So I could imagine Carol might try something like this.</p><p>Anyway, all mistakes are mine, and I don't own the characters—Patricia Highsmith does. Hope you guys enjoyed that! Merry Carolmas and a Happy New Year!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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